Users will have to pay for Windows 10 security updates

Microsoft will officially stop supporting the Windows 10 operating system on October 14, 2025. After this date, businesses and consumers will have the option of an extended security upgrade (ESU) for each Windows 10 device they plan to continue using.

For the corporate sector, 61 USD is the price applicable for the first year. From the second year, they have to pay double to 122 USD and continue to triple to 244 USD in the third year. In cases where a business purchases an ESU in year two, they also have to pay for year one due to the cumulative value of security upgrades.

In a post on the Windows IT Pro Blog, Microsoft said this price only applies to commercial organizations, pricing details for individual users 'will be updated later'.

The company also said that stopping support for Windows 10 is to focus on developing the Windows 11 operating system - which is said to have higher performance, better security and more new features.

'Extended updates are not a permanent solution but only a temporary bridge,' Microsoft explains. 'Customers will be able to purchase ESU licenses for Windows 10 devices starting in October 2024, one year before the official end of support.'

Microsoft is offering a 25% discount for businesses using cloud-based update solutions like Intune or Windows Autopatch.

Additionally, customers using Windows 10 laptops or PCs connected to Windows 11 cloud PCs through the Windows 365 suite will not have to pay for updates as the cost is included in Windows 365.

Meanwhile, educational and training organizations such as schools will be provided with a license priced at 1 USD for the first year, doubling to 2 USD in the second year and 4 USD for the year after that.

According to StatCounter, the Windows 10 operating system still accounts for 69% of the total number of Windows users, compared to only 27% of Windows 11. This is a relatively large gap that Microsoft can hardly narrow in a period of 18 months. next.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 09 April 2024